Justice Minister has joined home-grown lawtech
firms in Chicago this week to showcase how the UK legal sector is
putting AI at the front and centre of its services.
In a boost for British business, a delegation of the best and the
brightest legal minds have visited Illinois city and New York as
part of the Great Legal Services campaign, alongside the
Department for Business and Trade.
In both cities, the group met with hundreds of other law firms,
businesses and investors from around the world at major lawtech
conferences – helping them increase their international business
and further boost the UK economy.
Figures show trade in legal services between the US and UK was
worth £2.2bn in 2022. Some of the companies in the delegation
already turn over £20 million a year and have clients around the
world, including in the USA, Singapore and Australia.
Minister for Courts and Legal Services, KC, said:
“We're kickstarting our economy by harnessing the power of AI,
technology and innovation in law. Backing British lawtech will
boost businesses and attract international investment as part of
our Plan for Change.
“In a fast-changing global market, UK law and lawtech are at the
cutting edge. This trade mission and Government investment in
lawtech will ensure the UK stays in pole position for law while
growing the wider economy.”
These events support UK lawtechs – companies which make
technology or software to provide legal services – to win
business and grow their market presence in the United States.
The trip also helped develop a pipeline of US lawtech firms to be
set up or expanded in the UK, further cementing the UK's position
as a world leader in legal services and legal technology and
supporting smaller regional firms to trade internationally.
His Majesty's Consul General, British Consulate-General,
Richard Hyde said:
“Chicago is home to one of the largest and most dynamic legal
sectors in the US.
“There are huge opportunities for the brightest and best UK legal
tech companies.
“We were excited to welcome this ministerial led trade mission;
it is opening doors for UK innovators and driving growth in the
UK and in Illinois.
This mission comes following a recent announcement that the
Lawtech UK programme, a government-backed initiative to drive
digital transformation in the domestic legal services industry,
will be funded for another year to help further the UK's leading
position in the global legal services market.
Overall, the UK's legal sector generates £37 billion for the UK
economy every year. In recent months key agreements have
been made with other nations to strengthen the sector – including
agreements with Switzerland, Japan, and Greece – by allowing UK
lawyers to practise abroad.
Notes:
- The GREAT Legal Services campaign was launched in 2017 to
promote and support the strength of English and Welsh Law, the
UK's world-renowned independent judiciary, and our legal
expertise to the global market, including legal technology.
- In the last financial year, the campaign generated more than
800 business connections for UK legal professionals and reached
over 2.6 million online in key markets across the world.
